Can timber transform the speed & ease of construction in the commercial sector?

By Helen Bennett, Project Manager at M3 Consulting

The rise of engineered wood products like cross-laminated timber (CLT) has created new opportunities to use timber in construction without compromising on quality, strength or durability. One of the most compelling advantages of CLT is the unrivalled speed it can bring to project delivery. This has contributed to its increasing adoption in sectors like education and purpose built student accommodation, where programme certainty is critical and delays can have material consequences, from lost rental income to disruption of the academic year. We believe that there is similar potential for adoption in commercial real estate where timber has yet to achieve mainstream use.

Timber also aligns well with modular and off-site construction, supporting a level of programme predictability and efficiency that traditional methods often struggle to match. At 40 Pelham Street, a 14,000 sq ft scheme for the Wellcome Trust in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea that M3 has been leading from feasibility stage, the time from ordering to delivery of prefabricated CLT components has been as short as six to eight weeks, with a subsequent build period of around three weeks.

Our team proposed incorporating CLT into the design for the project, which reimagines a long, narrow disused site to create two two-storey office buildings. One building is being refurbished to retain much of the existing structure, while the new building is constructed from CLT. The construction speed achievable with CLT offered a practical response to the scheme’s constraints. The site is bordered by listed buildings and neighbours in close proximity, so a faster and more predictable build helped us work within the existing massing and limit disruption to the surrounding community.

The CLT was manufactured in Spain, arriving as a kit of parts to correspond with the constrained sequencing of the building. It replicates and enhances the typology of the previous building; supporting the regeneration of the site by creating a warm and comfortable environment that responds well to its context.

Meticulous preparation leads to better outcomes

Although construction speed is a significant advantage, project teams should be aware that using CLT components requires detailed upfront planning and early specialist consultant engagement, including an experienced advisor who understands the process. It also entails allocating time to appoint a specialist CLT designer to ensure the scheme is fully designed before components are fabricated. More preparation is also required for navigating the fire regulations that apply when working with timber, which is entirely manageable with the right expertise but must be integrated into the early project timeline.

Rather than being viewed as a constraint, this earlier engagement has considerable advantages. More rigorous preparation improves design accuracy and supports a smoother process onsite while reducing the risk of delays and additional costs. Greater accuracy also contributes to lower waste, thereby enhancing the environmental credentials of schemes. The higher upfront investment associated with timber is likely to be offset during construction for the above reasons, while also offering clearer budget certainty from the outset.

At present, the use of CLT in office buildings is not widely considered during feasibility studies, with the clear structural span required in commercial buildings being one of the main issues. While CLT may not offer as favourable structural properties or strength as steel, for instance, it should nevertheless be considered for mid-scale commercial schemes where the sustainability aspect of timber can act as an added benefit. In fact, the government’s ‘Timber in construction roadmap 2025’ notes that it is possible (and advisable) to increase the use of mass engineered timber in low to mid-rise commercial and other non-residential schemes where risks are property assessed.

Timber is also inherently aesthetically appealing, giving occupiers the benefits associated with access to nature and biophilic design, both of which support wellbeing and productivity. On another M3 project, One Exchange Square in the City of London – where CLT was used for the extension and main entrance stairs – the timber structure that makes up the ground floor retail creates a point of difference and sense of warmth in a glass and steel development.

As an industry, we should challenge misconceptions around the use of timber as a construction material and embrace its potential as a mainstream option. Whether used for entire projects or integrated selectively, CLT offers opportunities to deliver innovative and high-quality commercial buildings at speed. Looking ahead, this can only be a boon in an industry where demand for high quality commercial buildings continues to grow.